New president for Mars

The global president of Mars Chocolate has been chosen to replace the current president of Mars Incorporated, who will retire at the end of the year. Grant F Reid will begin a handover period with current president Paul S Michaels from 2 July and will formally take on the role of president of Mars in January 2015.

“In his almost 11 years at the helm of Mars Incorporated, Paul has overseen a period of outstanding business performance and tremendous achievement. He also built up the talent of the company while strengthening the visible presence of our Five Principles - quality, efficiency, responsibility, mutuality and freedom - in the way we operate,” said Victoria B Mars, chairman of the Mars board of directors.

“It’s because of his focus on nurturing leaders who are both talented and principled, that we have such a strong internal successor in the business. We are proud and excited that Grant, a 26-year veteran of the business, and a member of the Mars Leadership Team since 2007, will be our next president.”

Reid currently oversees more than 17,000 associates in Mars Chocolate, which is one of Mars’ biggest business segments. In his five years in the position of global president of Mars Chocolate, Reid has championed industry efforts to collaborate on the issue of cocoa sustainability, growing Mars’ own Sustainable Cocoa Initiative.

“I’m grateful to the board of directors for giving me this opportunity and proud to have been chosen as the next president of Mars Incorporated,” said Grant.

“Mars has always encouraged and provided opportunity for growth and development of associates, and I am certainly living proof of that fact. I believe in the Mars culture, I love the Mars brands and I know that we have the best associates in the world. We have a truly exciting future and I’m honoured to lead the organisation into that future.”